Checkpoint 10: What Do They Call You?

It’s an ironic fact of marketing that a brand’s most valuable asset is often the one given the least attention—its name. Maybe this is because new products, services, and companies are often christened before marketing teams are in place. Maybe it’s because the founders believe it’s their entrepreneurial privilege to name their own children. Or maybe it’s because they aren’t aware of the widening costs of a poorly named brand, or the streamlining effects of a well-named one.

Let’s imagine a tale of two companies, both entering the highly competitive market for personal electronics. One is named Personal Media Devices, and the other is named Yubop.

The founders of Personal Media Devices are extremely pleased ...

Get ZAG: The Number-One Strategy of High-Performance Brands now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.